“I am tremendously honored to be chosen as Montana State University's new football coach, and I promise to build a program that the university and its supporters will be proud of,” Ash, 55, said in a statement released by the school. “I have enormous respect for the institution, its academic and athletic traditions, and for (athletics director) Peter Fields and President (Geoff) Gamble. I love the support here, I love the academic prestige of the school, and I'm excited for this opportunity.”
Ash's teams have posted a 125-63-2 record in 18 seasons at Division I-AA Drake. He earned Pioneer Football League coach of the year honors in 2004, 1998 and 1995.
Ash takes over for Mike Kramer, who was fired on May 18 after the arrest of a fifth current or former player within a year. Four face drug charges and a former redshirt player faces a murder charge.
“The football program here at Montana State is far from broken,” Ash said. “We have history, tradition, and broad support which allow us to implement our philosophies and principles for behavior to build a foundation of success for the individuals in this program for years to come.”
Fields said Ash's application rose to the top of MSU's list, based not only on his team's success, but its high academic and social standards.
“Rob Ash embodies all the attributes that we were looking for in our new coach,” Fields said. “His teams are known to work hard on the field and in the classroom while doing the right things in the community. President Gamble and the members of our search committee all feel that Coach Ash and the staff he assembles will ingrain these qualities in our program as we move into a very bright future.”
Ash said his coaching philosophy is built on the concept that wins aren't restricted to the football field.
“We instill a commitment in our players to win every day,” Ash said. “We want our players to win in the classroom and win in the community by making quality choices. Winning on the football field follows, as does shaping the lives of these young people in a way that will lead to success throughout their lives.”
Fields said Ash has accepted a three-year deal that pays an annual salary of $130,000 with incentives that have yet to be finalized.
Ash, a Des Moines native, graduated from Cornell (Iowa) College in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in history. He began coaching at his alma mater in 1976. After four years as an assistant at Cornell, he accepted head coaching duties at Juniata in Huntingdon, Pa., in 1980. After posting a 4-5 record in his first season there, the Eagles posted winning marks in six of the next eight campaigns.
Returning to his native Iowa to take the reigns at Drake in 1989, Ash led the Bulldogs to 7-3 and 6-4 records in his first two seasons. After posting a 4-6 mark in 1991, Ash's Drake squads stood 30-8-2 over the next four years. His 125 wins are the most in school history.
A Little All-America pick as Cornell's quarterback in 1972, Ash also earned academic all-America honors and earned a postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA. He earned his master's degree in history from the University of Michigan in 1975 and completed his master's in physical education at the University of Iowa in 1980.
Carroll College coach Mike Van Diest, Duke assistant Larry Kerr and North Dakota coach Dale Lennon also interviewed for the job. Van Diest and Lennon withdrew their names from consideration for the post.
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